| English Name | Giant Bean |
|---|---|
| Status in China | Least Concern (LC) |
Description:
Evergreen, ligneous, large lianas; stems twisted. Leaves bipinnate, 10-25 cm long, usually with 2 pairs of pinnae, rachis often ending in a tendril; pinnae with 2-4pairs of leaflets and terminal tendrils; leaflets opposite, oblong or long obovate, 3-9cm long, 1.5-4cm wide, apex obtuse or emarginated, base slightly oblique. Spikes 15-25cm long, single or paniculate, flowers white, dense; calyx late-campanulate, 2mm long, 5-toothed; petals 5, oblong, 4mm long, slightly connate at base; stamens 10, free; slightly exserted; ovary glabrous. Pods toward 1m long, 8-12cm wide, compressed, septate, with thick sutures; seeds suborbiculate, 4-6cm in diam.
Distribution:
Tai Po Kau, Mau Ping, Hoi Ha. Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Taiwan, Yunnan, Xizang.
Habitat and Ecology:
In lowland mixed forests, climbing up on trees. Flowering: Mar.-June; Fruiting: Aug.-Nov.
The species produces the largest legumes among local flora, and its characteristic thick and twisted stem make the plant suitable for cultivation as ornamental. In Hong Kong, most of the localities of wild occurrence are within Country Parks and Special Areas under protection.
References:
吳德鄰，1988：中國植物誌39：13. 圖版5。科學出版社，北京。
